Lancer ledger Issue 3 2014-15

General McLane High School

November 20, 2014

50 cents

General McLane Performs “The Phantom of the Opera”

BY AMANDA JANOSKI “This is something you don’t want to miss,” said Mr. Yates, director of GMHS’ production of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Phantom is one of the biggest shows General McLane High School has ever performed. The set is elaborate, and the practices are long, but in the end, “The Phantom of the Opera” will be a wonderful show. GM’s biggest show to date has a myriad of complexities, and students have been working now for two months to make what will be undoubtedly the most spectacular event of the high school theatre scene. Shows on Friday and Saturday are likely to sell out, according to recent ticket sales. This is also the first time that GM has held a performance on a Sunday. Read more about “Phantom” inside.

Austin Kulyk and Olivia Graham Credit: Erie Times News

e d i Ins this issue:

• • • • • • •

Bathroom Pass Controversy Thanksgiving Traditions #Thinspo Caring Place Black Friday Basketball Preview Hunting and Fishing

Go “Behind the Scenes” on page 6

Honoring Veterans Here at Home

BY JACK PARKER

Veterans Day nationwide is a day of celebration and remembrance, and here at General McLane, the spirit of reverence is no different. Many students and faculty members around our school are related to or are veterans themselves. Mrs. Bremner, whose father fought in Vietnam, spoke about how “proud she was to know that her father made the huge commitment to serve and protect our country.” She also said that those who stayed behind and sacrificed for the family like her mother deserved to be honored too. Many faculty members also have served and protected our country including: Mr. Cannata, Mr. Korb, Mrs. Lipinski, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Vath, and Mr. Malec. Mr. Korb said he feels “very proud” to have served his country. Mr. Korb, who served on a nuclear submarine in the Navy, went to lunch with fellow veterans on Veterans Day. People across the country spent the day honoring those who have sacrificed so much to protect and serve our country. Parades, services, and other celebrations were held in honor of those who served. Even on General McLane’s campus a celebration was held to honor local veterans at the middle school cafeteria. Many people came and spoke on what Veterans Day means to them. A moment of silence was given to those who had fallen while serving our country. Students played music, sang, and served brunch to the vets in attendance.

Also, after school on Friday, October 24, VFW Post 740 Edinboro-McKean partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank, the Erie Vet Center, and State Representative Ryan Bizzarro’s office to provide a mobile food outreach to needy veterans in Erie County. This event took place at the Erie Vets Center and Luther Memorial Church in downtown Erie. The program is called the Produce Express and is intended to provide fruits and vegetable and additional foods to veterans and others in need. This is the second outreach with the Second Harvest Food Bank. Going forward, the group hopes to conduct one each quarter. Brenna McAtee, GM senior and NHS president, and a friend of hers from the Erie Young People’s Chorus participated in this food distribution.

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News

Lancer Ledger

Muckbreaker:

Bathroom Passes Cause Schoolwide Concern

BY TRAVIS DEIST AND RYAN EADES Are bathroom passes crucial to our school? Some may argue that they are, but are they worth the unnecessary transactions of germs from one student to the next? You don’t really realize it, but how many people use the bathroom pass before you? Something more to consider, how many people used the pass before you and didn’t wash their hands afterwards? How often are the passes cleaned, if at all?

These are all questions that the students deserve to have answered, after all, we are the ones using them on a daily basis.

A survey of 138 General McLane students was conducted in an effort to obtain their personal opinions on the bathroom passes. The survey was divided into three different options. The first, being in favor of the passes. The second, being against the passes.

And the third, which was being against the passes to the point of refusing to use them. The results were fairly obvious.

Four percent of students interviewed were actually in favor of the passes. Students like junior Melissa Barbour find the passes to be to their convenience because, “It’s easier than signing out.” A whopping 59 percent of students were against the passes altogether. And 36 percent of students were against them as well as refusing to use them. All in all, a total of 95 percent of students interviewed were against the bathroom pass policy, whether they use the pass

Our Staff Editorial Board: Makayla Alicea, Ava Aulenbacher, Emily Hughes, Bria Kelly, Brooke Lenhardt, Sarah Lloyd, Erik Olson, Evan Sneed, Emily Tworek, Hannah Wyman, Olivia Wyman Staff Writers: Annalisa, Bankes, Makalia Barber, Timothy Benedict, McKenah Bryson, Jacob Bucko, Cayden Connolly, Travis Deist, Hannah Dickson, Ryan Eades, Rodrigo Garde, Zeila Hobson, Amanda Janoski, Cheyenne Johnson, Brittany Luzier, Jack Parker, Alena Piccinini, Owen Tshudy, Olivia Wyman, Allison Zameroski Advisor: Mrs. Toni Zona

#Thinspo: Hashtags Can Hurt

or not. Junior Sean Taylor explained how he feels, “They’re dirty,” and he doesn’t enjoy being forced to use them. Other students, like senior Jacob McEldowney, “[don’t] want a staph infection,” and thus feel uncomfortable touching the passes.

In a separate survey, 21 teachers were asked if they have seen a decline in the amount of students that ask to use the restroom since the start of the new bathroom pass policy. Ninety percent of these teachers felt they didn’t see a decline. Five percent of the Does the popular hashtag teachers did see a decline in the sense that people promote unhealthy weight won’t ask to leave if the pass is already gone, while goals? the other five percent were not sure. Teachers were also polled on how often they cleaned their passes. BY BRITTANY LUZIER Astonishingly, 88 percent of the teachers interviewed had never cleaned their bathroom passes. Apparently Just take a second and think how hard high school continued on page 3 PASSES is for some students. High schoolers can be some of the cruelest people out there. In today’s society, social media has taken peer pressure to a whole new level. So many trends go around with hashtags and pictures for the youth of today. These can be used for a good cause or used to brainwash people. A trend that is growing fast is a hashtag called thinspo which advocates anorexia as something to be proud of and try to accomplish.

Super models all around the world are glorified for their anorexic body images, whether they be in newspapers, magazines, or the news on television. Social media can be so deadly, especially to young girls trying to figure out who they are. The #thinspo promotes anorexia as “beautiful.” This creates a major issue. Everyday young girls and boys go on Twitter and see victims of anorexia and are brainwashed into thinking that that’s what they should try to look like.

Camryn Mosley, a senior, offered her thoughts on #thinspo, “I definitely think it’s an awful hashtag and concept. For any female to look at this while saying it’s ‘beautiful’ will make them think less of themselves because not looking like that means they aren’t A pass found hanging on a urinal. Credit: Tim Benedict beautiful, but in reality there is no certain way to look beautiful. God made every girl uniquely beautiful in their own special way and I think we should all embrace that beauty.” Junior Grant Shields sugBY ALENA PICCININI gested that we come up with a hashtag that promotes Black Friday, also known as the unofficial start of true healthy living for everyone who struggles with the Christmas season, is one of the craziest shopping body image issues. Anna Willis, a junior said, “Girls days in America. It is crazy not only due to the large get a false view of what they think perfect is, which amount of sales, but also due to the violence that oc- causes them to develop an unhealthy lifestyle that could end up being fatal to them. Everyone should curs during the 24 hour duration.

There are many cases of assault and even deaths stop being so judgemental and just accept everyone that have been reported. One case in 2008 when for who they are.”

Even though social media is used for bad purposes a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death, was one of the first deaths to have occurred as a result of a lot of the time, kids today have the power to turn it Black Friday shopping. Again in 2008, two people around and start promoting truly healthy lifestyles. were fatally shot when they had an altercation at Anorexia and bulimia are serious issues. It is time to Toys ‘R’ Us. One woman in California used pepper put a stop to the promotion of these diseases and respray to injure 10 people, and in Florida there were ally reach out to those who are struggling with them and make a positive change. shots fired due to a dispute over a parking spot.

Black Friday Chaos

Continued on page 4: CHAOS

Editorial Policy:

The student newspaper of General McLane High School, the GM Lancer Ledger, is a public forum, with its editorial board making all decisions about its content.

Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows. Letters must be signed, although the staff may agree to withold the name upon request if deemed necessary. The Ledger reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy, and disruption of the school process, as are all the contents of the paper.

Opinions in leters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in this public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the district administration, unless so attributed.

News

Lancer Ledger

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Art Club Fosters Creativity and Community

BY ALLY ZAMEROSKI In the Art Club, or as some like to call it, “The Realm of Art,” everyone is considered family.

Whether you’re very artistic or not, the Art Club doesn’t care, they will love you just the same. The Art Club is a wonderful place to lose yourself in the realm of creativity, to strengthen bonds with peers and to keep busy!

A well known project that Art Club has created is the waterfall mural in the nurse’s office. The club is also responsible for doing some designing and painting on the sets of GM musicals. Some upcoming projects under consideration are an anti-bullying mural on one of the cafeteria walls and a mural in the library.

Students who have a love for art often struggle to find a clique, but in Art Club, a community of artists fosters creativity in an inclusive, welcoming environment. Artists can show their work to fellow clubmates for constructive criticism and support, all while finding a great and artistic group of friends.

Students interested in joining this unique club can come to Room 203 during Activity Period and check in with Mrs. Thompson.

GM Model UN Team Takes Gannon

BY EMILY HUGHES

Drawing by Ally Zameroski

Sculpture by Haley Wells

PASSES: continued from page 2 The hall pass policy was enacted because teachers need to know where a student is supposed to be and also so they know the student has permission to be where they are. But is it working? Many students reported they have never even been “stopped” by a teacher in the hallway, so isn’t that counterproductive? In addition to that, how have students that refuse to use the pass get around without trouble?

Mr. Vath’s Bio 2 Accelerated class tested the school’s bathroom passes for bacteria. A junior member of the class, Anna Wills reported testing the passes in the cafeteria. These were found to have streptococcus, a bacteria which can carry a strep infection. Junior Janell Raye-Johnson tested the bathroom pass in the wood shop. She too found a bacteria called streptococcus and because of this she believes that we should get rid of the passes and go back to the sign out sheet. The bathroom passes are being touched by dirty hands, toilets, etc. In order to be more hygienic, students could wash their hands and keep passes off the urinals and floors or teachers could clean the pass every time a student uses it. But the findings of the Bio 2 class beg the question: with the sickness these passes can cause, why have them at all?

The bathroom passes were meant to help our school function better than it had, but based on the students and teachers interviewed, it appears as though they are not fulfilling this purpose and only spreading germs in our school. Gross!

Several GM students participated in Model UN on November 7 and 8 along with about 450 other students from schools all over the tri-state area to debate on international affairs at Gannon University. Some of the topics for debate this year included the preservation of state sovereignty without the use of armed conflict, promoting economic growth through sustainable foreign investment, preventing human trafficking, improving human rights standards in minority groups, and eradicating extreme hunger and poverty by promoting sustainable farming techniques and practices. This was the first Model UN that General McLane has participated in for years, and the students were excited to get involved in the longest running Model UN organization in the United States. First place went to Collegiate Academy, who has won at Gannon for the past four years consecutively. The next Model UN debate will take place at Mercyhurst in the spring, so be sure to see Mr. Jenkins for details!

National Honor Society Welcomes New Inductees

BY ANNALISA BANKES Character. Scholarship. Leadership. Service. These are the four pillars of National Honor Society (NHS) that a student must demonstrate to become a member. Members of NHS commit acts of community service around the school, such as the annual blood drive slated for December 5. NHS also sponsored the school wide food drive that just wrapped up.

This year’s National Honor Society inductees went through the same process members before them did: they filled out applications that included the activities they are involved in at school and what volunteer projects they have been involved in in the community. They also wrote an essay with a given prompt. The prompt given to this year’s inductees was, “How have the pillars of National Honor Society, character, scholarship, leadership, and service, helped you in high school?” Each member of NHS is either a junior or a senior and has a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or more. The induction ceremony will take place on Monday, November 24 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Congratulations to this year’s inductees: Adrian Arnt Emily Hughes Ryan Reagan Annalisa Bankes Cory Kephart Jordan Rys Kyle Brace Emily Kerr Sydney Shadeck Ryan Carpenter Matthew Kirby Alison Stawicki Nicolcarmen Ciotti Samantha Laughlin Drew Strobel Tyler Cornell Justin Miller Jacob Triola Cody Gould Ian Parker Emily Tworek Emma Hecker Leah Pilewski Garrett Vaughn

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Lancer Ledger

Features

Continued from page 2: CHAOS Our very own Mrs. Thompson had an experience dealing with Black Friday craziness. When she was working the register at Bath and Body Works on Black Friday a few years back, a woman cut off another woman and her daughter as she went to the front of the line. This woman and her daughter were not happy, and the woman made it very known as she started freaking out and yelling curse words which ranged from semi-inappropriate to the worst words imaginable leaving Mrs. Thompson in complete shock! The women involved in the altercation had to be escorted out of the store by security.

Mr. Schultz, commenting on Black Friday, said “I went once and it was an awful experience.” Senior Jacquelyn Burkett said, “I hate the people but I love the sales!” Sophomore RJ Garde said, “Only in America can you trample over people to get what you want right after you gave thanks for what you have.”

Thanksgiving Traditions Around the World

Student Voices:

“During your Thanksgiving feast there is a vast variety of food available for you to enjoy, but which dish is your favorite?”

“Mashed potatoes.” -Cuinn Larmon, junior “Chicken wings.” -Jordan Rys, junior

“Stuffing!” -Emily Markiewicz, senior

“Potato.” -Evan Dillen, senior

BY RYAN EADES

There are a variety of different Thanksgiving traditions. Everyone has their own. Some of the most common traditions are traveling, the feast, and the wishbone. The wishbone is attached to the breast meat in the turkey’s chest. After the “Turkey.” -Laurna Roesch, senior meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry and brittle, two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. It is said whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish!

Students at GM weighed in on their Thanksgiving traditions. Senior Tim Benedict described his tradition as, “laying on the couch and eating food.” Freshman Jack Parker says that his tradition is “going to Philadelphia to visit my grandma and grandpa.” Those are common traditions, watching tv and traveling. But when asked, sophomore Jacob Bucko shared his more uncommon tradition of “naming my turkey.”

In other places like Mexico, Thanksgiving is celebrated on a more religious and spiritual note. They focus on giving thanks to God and spending time with family and friends. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in the month of October, while Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November each year. This is because in Canada the crops are usually harvested by mid October. Many Canadian provinces also recognize Remembrance day (November 11th) as a holiday. In order to break up the holidays, Thanksgiving was placed in October, between the two holidays Labour Day and

BY ALENA PICCININI Remembrance Day. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving the same as we do here Is November too early to have Christmas Spirit? Well, this is a commonly arin the U.S.: through parades, family feasts, and of course, turkey. gued topic. When you really think about it, when is the appropriate time for all the decorations and hustle and bustle of the Christmas spirit?

According to a survey conducted at GM it was shown that a little over half of those surveyed believe that celebrating should begin right after Thanksgiving has passed. Fifty-six percent of the people asked believe the beginning of November is too early for Christmas spirit while the other 44 percent strongly disagree.

Junior Shea Thompson said that, “You should celebrate Thanksgiving before

BY TIM BENEDICT being excited for Christmas.” Inversely, senior Michelle Jahn believes that, “The Thanksgiving may be the main event in the second-to-last month of the year, celebrating should start on November 26 and go until December 25. I just love but there are plenty of unusual holidays to fill November days with celebration. Christmas so much!”

When asked about other holidays in November, sophomore Jacob Bucko said, Unofficially, Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the start of the Christ“I had no idea there were any other holidays besides Thanksgiving.” That’s what mas shopping season due to the fact that this is when all the Christmas sales most people would say when asked that question, but in reality there are many begin. This rise in sales at stores causes many people to begin their Christmas smaller holidays that go unnoticed because of Thanksgiving. Here are a few: shopping, therefore creating Christmas spirit when the shopping starts. However it seems that more and more stores are starting their Christmas marketing Nov. 3: Sandwich Day, where you eat a sandwich at every meal. campaigns earlier every year, with some even opening on Thanksgiving day.

Nov. 6: National Men Make Dinner Day, where men in the family make dinner.

Nov. 13: World Kindness Day, where the whole day is dedicated to being kind.

Nov. 14: Loosen up, Lighten Up Day, where you forget all your problems and be happy all day.

Nov. 17: National Unfriend Day, where you go onto your social media sites and unfriend all the people you don’t like or who have no contact with.

Nov. 18: Mickey Mouse Day, a whole day dedicated to Mickey himself.

Nov. 19: World Toilet Day Nov. 21: World Hello Day, where you go around and say hello to all your friends and strangers you come in contact with throughout the day.

Nov. 28: The day right after Thanksgiving is National Flossing Day, just to make sure you get all that turkey out of your teeth Nov. 29: Square Dancing Day Nov. 30: Stay Home Because You’re Well Day

Forgotten Holidays in November

Photo by Camryn Mosley

Giving Back

Lancer Ledger

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GM Gives Back: Spirit of Thanksgiving Inspires Schoolwide Charity Initiatives Putting the Giving Back in Thanksgiving

BY ANNALISA BANKES Giving abounds in General McLane and the Edinboro community as Thanksgiving approaches.

Locally, the junior girls’ small group at G3 worked together to create Christmas gifts for girls ages 13 to 18. Together they packed over ten shoeboxes full of toiletries, school supplies and some kitchen supplies. All the gifts will go to Operation Christmas Child, which is the world’s largest Christmas organization. Operation Christmas Child is a part of Samaritan’s Purse and the gifts given are delivered around the world to over 150 countries.

On November 12, the food drive sponsored by The National Honor Society came to a close with 524 nonperishable items raised schoolwide. Mrs. Scaletta’s advisory came in third place with 61 nonperishables, Mrs. Woodward’s advisory came in second place with 140 nonperishables and Mrs. Kurczewski’s advisory came in first place with 170 nonperishables. Mrs. Kurczewski’s advisory won a cupcake party, as well as a putt-putt and pizza party at Nick’s Place that will take place in the spring.

These are just two examples of community-wide giving as Thanksgiving continues to come closer. The holiday season offers plenty of opportunity to give. Let’s continue to put the giving back into Thanksgiving.

The junior girls pack up shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child at G3

‘Stache For Cash

BY MAKAILA BARBER

General McLane is hosting its ‘Stache For Cash’ fundraiser from December 1- 5 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that mostly affects the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, and intestines. Difficulty breathing is the most serious symptom resulting from infection in the lungs. To benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, teachers and students are competing to grow out the best beard throughout the entire month of November.

On December 1, students will be passing around buckets with teachers’ faces on them asking for $1 donations. Students who donate will receive a free bag of Utz chips. Last year’s ‘best stache’ winner was Mr. Delsandro. Mr. Wheeler has been hosting ‘Stache For Cash’ for the past two years here at General McLane.

“Coach Cook’s daughter, Charlie, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis two years ago. When I heard Cambridge Springs started a fundraiser to raise money for the family, I wanted to start something for him as well because he’s our wrestling coach,” said Wheeler.

Last year General McLane raised $1,200. Wheeler has a goal of $2,000 for 2014. On December 5, there will be an assembly held at the end of the day to crown the student and faculty winner who raised the most money. Students are encouraged to participate in “no shave November” by growing out their facial hair and contributing to this worthwhile cause.

The Caring Place Cares, and so Does GM

BY JACOB BUCKO

Life is like a rollercoaster, it goes up and back down. The Caring Place is a non profit organization that was started in Pittsburgh in 1997 to help kids and teens deal with the loss of a loved one through a community of support.

If you have lost a loved one, I would recommend going to the Caring Place. I have been there myself, and at first I was skeptical, but in the end it was definitely worth it. It made a rough time just that much easier. I understand that some people are afraid to open up. The great thing about the Caring Place is that it is completely confidential, everything said will stay in that room. Furthermore, everyone there is feeling pretty similar to the way you are feeling and are struggling with the same obstacles as you. The people there will not judge you for anything and are more than happy to help you get though the situation.

National Child Grief Awareness Day is on November 20, and GM is having a fundraiser for the kids grieving in our school. Students are encouraged to wear blue to show their support of this day. For a one dollar donation to the Caring Place, you can get your picture taken in our photo booth or buy a butterfly pin during all three lunches. As a way to honor loved ones who passed, you can stop by the “caring table” and write their name on a butterfly to hang on our memory wall or sign a banner of support. There is also an Advisory contest to collect art supplies or money that will go be used at the Caring place. The winners receive an ice cream party.

Together GM and the Caring Place are running a peer support group here at school. If you or someone you know could benefit from this, please see Mrs. Hertel in the guidance office for more information.

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Lancer Ledger

Entertainment

Phantom: Behind the Scenes

BY AMANDA JANOSKI

Photo Credit: Erie Times News

Isaac Petkac, a sophomore, is portraying the role of Ubaldo Piangi. As his first high school production the most challenging thing is the memorization.

However, Petkac really enjoys it otherwise there would be “no point in doing it.” He goes on to say, “If given the chance I wouldn’t want to be the Phantom. It is a very challenging part. I wouldn’t want to be a villain.” The cast has been working really hard to make this play perfect, but so have the set designers.

The set for “The Phantom of the Opera” is amazing. A big planning meeting was held in July with six people: Mr. Snodgrass, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Triola, Mr. and Mrs. Yates, and Mr. Graham. From there the set designers and helpers made drawings and discussed solutions to the many challenges facing them with this show. “We had no idea how to make the [chandelier], but Mr. Triola took it on and experimented with it, and made it work,” Snodgrass reported.

Work on the set started in September. Phantom is one of the most expensive shows GMHS has ever put on. According to Snodgrass, “There are a lot more elaborate set pieces, expensive costumes, props, and more things to build.” The set pieces are usually built with cardboard, but this year they have to be more structural. Cast members will be standing on some of the set pieces, so some of the props can’t be made with cardboard. Fortunately, some pieces from previous shows were recycled and incorporated into this show. Petkac is thankful for the hard work of the set designers, “They put in hours and hours of work, and if it wasn’t for them there wouldn’t be a show.”

No expense has been spared in the production of this massive show. GM is for the first time oursourcing its costumes and renting them from a professional theatre company in Chicago. In addition, some of the wigs used in the show have actually been used on Broadway. It is important to note that GM is one of only seventeen schools nationwide to produce “Phantom” this year, as compared to 527 schools putting on the musical “Grease.” Surely, this is not a The craftsmanship and attention to detail make show to miss, so grab a friend, hold on tight, and get GM’s sets close rivals to those used by professional ready to hear GM’s supreme rendition of the “Music of the Night.” productions.

Senior Austin Kulyk has been preparing for the role of the Phantom since the Spring Choir Concert when the musical was announced. Auditions were in early September, but Kulyk was practicing for Phantom at his voice lessons in the summer. Kulyk said, “In school, I am practicing every chance I have.”

It’s not hard to see that Kulyk has been very excited to play this role. Getting into the role of such a multi-faceted character can be difficult, but Kulyk reported that, “It’s all about grasping the character.

It’s a mindset.” Kulyk said that he “[knows] the show inside and out,” and that there are no parts he feels unsure about. His favorite part of the show is “all of it.” Austin said that he really loves the role of Phantom, but “if [he] could be any other role, [he] would be Mr. Yates.”

Lindsey Baker, a junior, is playing the role of Carlotta in the musical. She reported that “maintaining the Italian accent” is one of the most challenging aspects of her role. Baker portrayed the role of the Wicked Witch in last year’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” She sees similarities and differences in her role of Carlotta. “Both characters want a different type of power, but Carlotta isn’t evil, she just wants the spotlight.” During the musical, Baker has six costume changes to make, but she said “[She] will have a handful of helpers that will assist [her] with the changes.”

GM Hosts Holiday Arts Fair

BY HANNAH DICKSON On November 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., General McLane will be hosting its annual Holiday Arts Fair in support of artists around the local area. Some proceeds also go to the General McLane Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships and other financial assistance to exceptional GM alumni and programs. The Holiday Arts Fair is in its eighth year of existence, and each year has resulted in a great turn out. An estimated total of 75 local artists and crafters will be present with homemade goods for sale. This event is also an excellent opportunity for Christmas shopping, as some items can double as Christmas gifts. In addition, purchases will be supporting the local art culture and economy. So, come on out for fun, food, and good friends in support of great causes on Novemeber 22.

Sports

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Silver in the Stream: Steelhead Fishing

BY RJ GARDE Did you know that as a resident of Erie County, Pennsylvania you have some unbelievable natural resources at your fingertips? Right now we are in the fall and winter seasons and that means that steelhead fishing is in full swing on the tributaries of the Great Lakes.

Steelhead are a migratory fish that spend most of their lives in the Pacific Ocean or any of the Great Lakes. When water temperatures of Lake Erie start cooling in late September, the steelhead start to make their way up to the mouths of the creeks to spawn.

They sit in the lakes just outside the creeks waiting for perfect conditions in the creek to make their run.

When there is a heavy rain in late September or early October and the creeks rise, the fish make their way upstream.

The steelhead fishery in Erie County is so fantastic that it has a worldwide reputation among fishing fanatics. On the creeks you commonly meet people from Russia, Poland, Ireland, China, Korea, the UK, and Canada. Recently I ran into a man who drove straight from Wyoming to Erie just to fish for two days. The reasons all these people are drawn here are vast, but the two biggest factors are the sheer number of fish and the fish itself. Every year more than one million small steelhead are stocked into the creeks of Lake Erie and later return in addition to the few steelhead that reproduce in the streams. The main reason people chase these fish is their size and power. The average steelhead weighs from four to six pounds but fish over fifteen pounds are not uncommon. When a steelhead is hooked they almost always jump out of the water, sometimes clearing the surface by three or four feet, and can do so up to ten times. These amazing creatures can fight for up to a half hour and give even a seasoned fisherman a run for their money.

If you have an interest in trying your luck with fishing sometime, just ask! Most people who fish regularly say they would love to take someone with them and pass on their knowledge and share the experience of a day on the water. Even within your own school there are many students who enjoy going after these amazing fish. Senior Josh Valerio says,“It’s an adrenaline rush reeling in a hard fighting steelhead from Lake Erie.” Senior Peter Bridges enthusiastically gave his opinion of steelhead fishing saying “It’s a great excuse to go out in the cold, freeze your butt off, and have a good chance at catching a nice fish.” Nathan Maciak also commented, “This year the steelhead fishing has been very good, but with the snow it will get even better.” So get out there and enjoy some great fishing!

Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Teams Look Forward to Eventful Season

BY JACK PARKER

It’s that time of year again: the time when General McLane’s athletes make the transition from fall to winter sports. As always, General McLane’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams look to be very competitive this upcoming season. The boys are coming off of a 15-8 season and are eager to improve on the foundation they built last year. The team will have to work just as hard if they want to compete in the region. This year’s team is in an interesting position, for they lost four seniors from last season, all of which were starters. The boys will look for multiple people to step up including seniors Paul Jones and Peter Solberg, and juniors Nate Myers and Ryan Reagan. An array of young players will also have to step in and perform well for the Lancers. Second year head coach Brian Schulz said his goals haven’t changed for this season, he wants the team “to be better towards the end of the year than they were on the first day of practice.” He said in order to be successful this year, “the team will have to build chemistry and gain experience.” The team has spent the last few months preparing for the season and working towards improving their ability to work together as a unit.

Junior forward Ryan Reagan hopes this year that they “will become better as a team and use that teamwork to make a playoff run.” The Lancers open up their 2014-2015 season on Friday, December 5 against Erie First Christian Academy in the Fairview Tip-Off Tournament at Fairview High School.

The girls’ team is in a different position going into this season. After a strong showing in last year’s state playoffs and posting a final record of 21-4, the team is ready and excited to start the year. Not much has changed for the girls this season, and they are bringing back three starters from last year’s team. The team will use this veteran leadership from seniors Celeste Seidel, Michelle Jahn, Laura Schaefer and Lisa Yoder to carry them through the season. The big change for the girls this year is going to be the transition into AAAA. Lisa Yoder said that the change to AAAA “will be more difficult and we will have to play some more talented teams, but I am looking forward to it.” She said her overall goal for the team “is to become Region Champs once again and make the playoffs.” A more challenging schedule will come along with this change. The team will have to do what they’ve done in the past to win games in order to create the possibility of a repeat trip to the state playoffs. After two preseason scrimmages the team will open its season at home on Friday, December 5 against North East in the GM Tip-Off Classic.

Deer Report

BY OWEN TSHUDY

Many bowhunters in General McLane have had a rough year with a late rut, and not a lot of deer movement until the past couple weeks. Bowhunter Wyatt Chernicky told us that, “Odds are as the weather changes, the deer will be moving around more.” Hopefully, his prediction will come true and The GMHS Wrestling Team has adopted a more people can get a shot at a nice buck. Trenten Linder seems to be putting his luck into the cold new logo for the 2014-15 season. weather. He told us that, “Maybe when the snow What do you think? flies, bucks will move.”

Other hunters such as Peter Bridges have been passing up bucks all season long and now have to resort to hunting in rifle season. Bridges seems pretty confident in his choice to pass up a deer in archery, “I am going to slay a deer in rifle season.”

There have been a couple of successful bowhunters, including Nick Soboleski, Tom Soboleski and Kory Myers. Some hunters participate in buck pools, a

BY CAYDEN CONNOLLY contest over who shot the biggest buck. Myers was As fall is coming to an end and winter sports begin, winning the buck pool he was in, until the last week the wrestling team has a long season ahead of them. when someone beat him by a fourth of an inch.

The official start of the 2014-15 wrestling season is Good luck to all the hunters for rifle season starting coming up soon, but the wrestlers have already been on Dec. 1. Be safe and remember to identify your hard at work since October 7. target before you shoot.

Coach Cook said of his hopes for this season: “My goals for the program do not change from season to season. I expect us to be winning the District 10 Dual Meet title, and I expect us to be winning the District 10 Tournament Title.” Regarding the performance of the seniors, Coach Cook said, “I expect them to contribute to the winning atmosphere, and I expect them to lead through example and performance.” The wrestling team hopes for a great season this year!

Wrestlers “Ready to Rumble”

8

Human Interest

Lancer Ledger

Forever in Yellowstone: One Student’s Story

BY OLIVIA WYMAN

I know a place on this earth where at first sight my breath can be taken away, where the rocks whine and moan, where the waterfalls roar and the wind whistles, the sounds of hooves on pavement and the sound of wind from running buffalos. This place is called Yellowstone, a place I want to be the rest of my life.

I’ve wanted to go to Yellowstone for as long as I can remember. While other teenagers wanted to go to California or New York, I wanted to go to Yellowstone. While other people wanted closets filled with clothes. I wanted to be free, to run with the wind, to be wild. A place where people and shopping bags can’t satisfy. What I would experience here would last forever.

I came to this place three years ago expecting nothing and left wanting everything. I knew once I left that I didn’t have to say goodbye because I knew I was going to come back.

It’s funny when you’re a little kid everyone asks you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

When you’re little, it’s so easy to come up with an answer. Then somehow over time your answer changes, I know mine has. I don’t know exactly how my desire to be a park ranger started, but with my love of

nature and my love for Yellowstone I guess it just bloomed into something that can last for the rest of my whole life.

I’m seventeen now and deciding my career. With so many careers out there, it was so hard to decide which one I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I knew that I didn’t want to be stuck indoors all day, in a office from nine to five. I wanted to be immersed in nature until I was told that I had to go inside.

As I was looking at the choices, I came across park ranger (also known as a park naturalist). I fell in love with this job but I knew that it was more of a summer in-between job and it couldn’t last my whole life. The money I would make being a ranger would not be enough to live off of. Also, my parents wanted me to go to college for something and I wanted to go to school too.

Since I wanted to work at Yellowstone National Park, I looked on their website and found jobs in Yellowstone. While I was looking through them I saw the word “geologist.” That was when a light bulb went off. I researched this career and checked out all the information and I was hooked. I decided that this career was for me. I had it all figured out in my mind that I could go to school to be a geologist and

in the summers I could go to Yellowstone to work as a park ranger. It seemed at that moment that all my dreams were going to come true.

However, I still had one more thing to tackle, picking out colleges that had a geology program. I found a couple that I liked that were local. Then, something possessed me to look in Wyoming, home of Yellowstone. I knew I was causing myself trouble but I still looked and then I found my dream college, University of Wyoming. The university is anything but close to home but I love it.

I’m still figuring the whole college thing out but I know someday my Yellowstone dream will come true. I don’t know what would have been my career if I hadn’t visited Yellowstone three years ago but I don’t want to think about changing the past because I’m worrying about changing the future.

e d i Ins

next issue: -Winter Sports -New Kid on the Block -Foreign Exchange Checkup -Christmas Extravaganza -Literature Club

A Different Perspective: The Tall and the Small

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Courtesy of Mrs. Zona

BY ZEILA HOBSON

Imagine being able to dunk a basketball with relative ease or effectively disguise yourself as a giraffe for Halloween: junior Ryan Reagan is experienced in both. At 6’8, Ryan is one of the tallest kids attending General McLane High School. Though he has to order shoes online for his size 16 feet, all his pants are too short, and he always seems to hit his head, Ryan says he would never change his height. “It’s my identity,” Reagan stated, “people know me by my height, I’m ‘The Giraffe’.” Towering above most students and adults alike, Ryan admitted his height greatly contributes to his confidence and that it can be intimidating to others, especially (regrettably) younger kids. His lengthy frame is a huge advantage in Ryan’s sport of choice, basketball, but when asked his favorite thing about his height Reagan said, “I can reach things on the top shelf.” Being tall is also a pro around girls, according to Ryan, “Biddies love tall guys.” Reagan’s height is an advantage athletically and socially, despite how hard it is to play hide and seek.

“I can sleep almost anywhere and be comfortable.” said junior Sean Taylor when asked his favorite thing about being 5”5’. Taylor is one the shortest guys in his graduating class, but that doesn’t stop him from having a big personality. “I feel like I have to build other characteristics to compensate for my height.” Sean stated. He went on to say that he wouldn’t change his height if he could because, like Reagan, it makes him who he is. A negative effect of Taylor’s short stature is his inability to participate in the hurdling section of track and field. “I couldn’t get over the hurdles,” Sean said, laughing. To girls who are put off by his size, he says, “it’s what’s inside that counts” and admitted that it’s a topic that gets brought up early on. Despite negativity from the ladies, Sean loves the fact that he can maneuver himself through the halls more easily and can “fit into tight spaces.” Though Sean and Ryan are on opposite ends of the height spectrum, their contentment with their height and how it affects their lives is identical.